


Missing Parts

by rufferto



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Arthur has the Second Sight, Danger, M/M, Magic, Manequins, Murder Mystery, Mystery, Nimue - Freeform, No Major Character Death, Romance, Spells and Enchantments, Supernatural Elements, Witches
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-08
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:57:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6166633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rufferto/pseuds/rufferto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Arthur is forced to go to overlook a new store in his father's Avalon Corp chain in Northern Wales. He is an Interior Designer and specializes in store displays. On his way in to Ealdor he encounters a young man he later finds out disappeared without a trace.  It does not help that the young man's likeness is immortalized on a mannequin in the main store display window. The more he learns about Merlin Emrys the more intrigued he is and the more he wants to find him.<br/>**This story is on hold for a long while. I don't know if I'm getting back to it.***<br/>**This story is on hold indefinitely.**</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Arthur wasn’t a lonely man in spite of what his friends might say. He glanced up at himself in the rear view mirror. He was a broad shouldered man in the early side of his thirties and was starting to get a few crinkles in his eyes. He was well aware that it would only get worse if he didn’t keep his health up. His hair was still thick and full and he had a lean muscular form. He was a man who could have been anything he wanted to be. He had a sharp brain but no ambition, a thing his father deplored. Instead of becoming a business major, Arthur had followed his dream and went into Interior Design.

Unfortunately that had fallen through. He’d graduated with the degree but the job market was terrible. He had been forced to accept a place at his father’s department store chain. His job was to make sure all the displays were properly in order. He had to travel from city to city in Europe to ensure the displays maximized space and prompted customers to buy, buy, buy… Occasionally he got lucky and was able to score a consultant job but those were few and far between. He had the advantage of picking up languages quickly and so he was able to communicate in most countries. 

He lived on the road and carried very few things with him. All of his stuff was at his father’s mansion in London and he never felt the need to get his own place. He was always traveling anyway, it wasn’t worth it to have an apartment you stayed two nights a month in. He’d kept in touch with his high school and university friends but most of them had gotten married, moved away or had children. He’d done none of the above. He’d never found anyone he wanted to settle with. He’d had girlfriends in high school and boyfriends in college but no relationships. He was a confirmed bachelor.

His next stop was a smaller rural city, the kind he hated. These were the kinds of cities that didn’t deserve to be called cities and yet they somehow were. They were small, had very few choices and everything closed early except for the weekends. For some reason his father Uther Pendragon had bought up a Department Store there and it had been restored to another Avalon Center. Uther assured him that Ealdor was full of wealthy, eccentric clients because it was prime resort land, which was true. It was just not a big city and in Arthur’s experience whenever they bought up property in a town or small city the store wouldn’t do as well.

It was Arthur’s job to make sure it was properly laid out because Uther didn’t trust the manager. She didn’t have a degree. Her name was Morgause Gorlois and he very specifically told Arthur he was to meet her and assess her ability to make Avalon Corp money.

Arthur finally saw the city lights and noticed that the bed and breakfast he booked was coming up soon. He would unload everything there and sleep. He’d been on the road for three days and he needed it. He was in the north of Wales and it wasn’t an area he liked but he’d endure. As he turned the corner he rubbed his eyes and felt the lack of sleep finally catching up to him.

He blinked several times as he saw someone standing on the side of the road, bathed in moonlight. He looked as though he was staring off into space. Arthur’s first instinct was to keep driving but something made him stop the car and roll down his window.

“Hey, are you okay?” He called out to the boy.

For boy he was, he couldn’t be more than 20. He was skinny and wore too-big generic clothing that loosely clung to his body. His hair was shoulder length and coal black with thick, long curls. His features were slim and ethereal. His pale face and high cheekbones would rival any model in the high fashion world. They would fall all over him. He had long legs and elegant fingers. Arthur couldn’t help but let his eyes travel up and down the boy’s beautiful form. The boy turned to look in his direction and Arthur caught his breath. He was…transparent. The boy gave him a terribly sad expression and Arthur felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. For a long moment, they stared at each other. Arthur gripped the wheel so hard his knuckles began to turn white.

The apparition turned away and was gone.

Arthur shivered and exhaled the breath he’d been holding. It was so cold he could see it and he quickly rolled up the wheel.

_That was why he fucking hated Wales._

He started the car after checking to make sure the boy had really vanished and continued onward to Rose&Stars Bed and Breakfast run by a woman named Gwen Dulac. He was wide awake now.

Arthur was no stranger to the supernatural. He’d seen quite a bit of it in his travels but in general he avoided it as much as possible. He did not want to deal. If he couldn’t touch it, he didn’t want to know about it. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen an apparition either. It was a part of him he kept secret ever since he was a child and he’d first seen the ghost of his mother. There was just something about that spirit though, something that gnawed at him.

As it turned out, Gwen Dulac was a lovely dark-skinned woman in her fifties. Her husband Lance was a caretaker of an old ruined castle no one was sure of the name of and the House was lovely. He liked her immediately and felt that they would get along just fine. Also, she was a fantastic cook and gave him a small meal because he hadn’t had time to stop for supper. During the meal she chattered on about various sites he should see and that he should be wary of the wisps and not to follow them into the woods. He assured her quickly that he would not.

Once in his room he undressed and fell into bed, exhausted. When he closed his eyes sleep didn’t come immediately. He couldn’t stop thinking about the Spirit on the road. He had the strangest feeling and it wasn’t fear. He closed his mind to the afterlife and finally slept.

***

“Mr Pendragon, will you take tea or coffee?” Gwen asked cheerfully as she filled his plate during breakfast.

He’d showered and felt more himself and less dog tired. He was ready to deal with the store now. “Tea would be a pleasure, ma’m.” Arthur told her with a happy grin. Whatever his connections to these things, he didn’t let them ruin his life. He carried on.

His eyes roamed over a section of pamphlets that showed various sites and he was pleased to see that he’d be able to get in quite a bit of hiking. He didn’t like staying at major hotels and preferred these types of accommodations. They suited him. They were informal and comforting. He wasn’t a fan of luxury even though he grew up and almost became a man he would have hated for the rest of his life. He thought he might check out those ruins too when he had a chance. He wasn’t sure how long he’d be staying here.

Gwen packed him a lunch with scones and sent him out the door ready to face the day.

Ealdor, as it happened, was rather more crowded than he expected. It seemed to be one of those towns with a lot of tourists. This was a good thing and it appeared his father was right. An Avalon Store might do well here if managed properly and set up with care. He drove to the building and let out a relieved sigh. The reconstruction was done and the store looked shiny and new. It was open and busy. Gwen told him it was the subject of much discussion in the city. It had provided a lot of jobs.

He parked the car and decided to do a walk around first before telling Morgause he was there. It was something he did because it gave him the opportunity to see it from a customer point of view. His eyes went first to the window displays and he nearly stopped in his tracks. His face must have gone really white because a couple stopped to ask him if he was okay. He assured them he was and stared at the window.

The boy from the woods stared back at him. He was dressed in the latest fashion and stood quite real and tangible in the window display. Arthur began to walk closer to the window, mesmerized. He felt like the boy’s eyes were drawing him.

Reality began to set in the closer he got. The boy’s arms were missing. He wasn’t a human. He was… cold plastic. Arthur swallowed. He could have sworn he saw the eyes flash at him momentarily and then he was just… lifeless.

“It’s a bit early to look like you need a drink.” A beautiful blonde woman gave him a sardonic smile.

He snapped his attention to her. “Er…” He cleared his throat and felt extremely sheepish. It had been late, he was tired. The mannequin couldn’t possibly be the same face he saw on the road.

“Morgause Gorlois, and you’re Arthur Pendragon. I’ve been expecting you.” She told him crisply.

“Guilty,” Arthur pulled himself together enough to turn on the charm. “Pleasure.” They shook hands and he took a moment to assess her. A beautiful woman to be sure, but hard and cold as diamonds. He could tell by the no-nonsense look in her eyes. She was going to be difficult to work with. He’d had worse though. “I can’t wait to see what you’ve done with the store.” Somehow he managed to make it sound convincing as well.

“I’m sure,” Morgause smirked. “And you’ll probably change everything. I’ve heard stories.” She gestured forward and led him inside.

It was going to be a long day.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

Arthur had a headache by noon. He didn’t know who had set up the store previously but it was, as usual completely wrong. They would have to shut down at night and redo it. He’d told Morgause as much and she wasn’t pleased. Employees at the store did not like working late and she could only get a few people to do agree. Fortunately, she knew she didn’t have a choice. If she didn’t agree with Arthur, they could fire her and bring someone else in from out of the district.

“I know what sells.” Arthur told her abruptly to finish off an hour long argument. “These mannequins are awfully life like.” He could not help but stare over at the front window. “I’ve never seen them look like this in all the stores we have. Where do you get them?”

“We get them from the local doll maker a man named Gaius Fisher, he’s been making them for as long as I can remember. Each face is a representation of someone who lives here or has lived here, by their consent of course. They were all part of the old department store that was owned by the Emrys family.” Morgause explained with a tight lipped smile. “It was a happy place to work until the owner’s son vanished and business began to decline. That was why we had to sell.”  
  
“The Emrys’ family is very wealthy as I recall from the articles about the sale.” Arthur commented.

“Extremely old money.” Morgause nodded. “They owned most of the land at one point and sold off parcels of it over the centuries. In the early fifteen hundreds one of them was made a Baron and the title has been passed down over the years. The Emrys family has always been involved in Ealdor and the surrounding counties. They always helped. I can’t imagine who could have done this to them.”

“Done what?” Arthur asked.

Morgause looked as if she just realized she said something she didn’t really want to talk about. Her lips compressed, “Merlin Emrys, the heir, vanished over a year ago. There was no ransom note and his body was never found. He was set to marry a young lady Kara Mane. They were very much in love so it was a great shock when he vanished. There was no reason for him to run off and he couldn’t have disappeared completely, he’s too unique.”

“What do you mean?” Arthur wondered.

“Well,” she gestured to the window. “How could you hide a face that looked like that?” Morgause gestured towards the very mannequin that had held Arthur’s attention.

“That’s Merlin Emrys?” Arthur swallowed nervously.

“Yes,” she nodded. “We hoped that one day he would turn up or someone would find him but so far nothing. I tried to convince the Baron not to sell but nothing I could say could change his mind. The store reminded him too much of Merlin. Merlin loved the store. He put his heart and soul into it.” Morgause rubbed the back of her neck. “I’m sure this local history must be very boring for you, Mr Pendragon, we ought to take a break for lunch.”

“No,” Arthur shook his head. “No, it’s fascinating, really.” He had a feeling that he knew where this Merlin’s body was but that would mean tapping into that part of him. A part he could not control. Still, he couldn’t help but feel there were eyes on him in the store. Eyes that were more than just professional curiosity.

_Merlin._

Arthur looked down at his hands. The hairs on the back of his hands tingled and he frowned. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a young man by one of the cashiers. He had curly hair and sharp blue eyes. His look…Arthur smirked slightly. The boy had been checking him out but what he couldn’t fathom was the reason for the tingle. Usually that meant something unnatural. He looked away and turned his attention back to Morgause.

She had been the first person to not be in tears after hearing all of his changes. He was impressed, she had her head on straight. She would make the place thrive if his father let her. He was sure of it. He was an excellent judge of character. For a fleeting moment he remembered high school. Morgause would have been someone he’d have dated but that person was so far removed from the man he was today. That arrogant young footie player had been something of a bully. He’d made a decision for himself the first time in his life when he chose which school to apply to and what degree to go for and he changed.

His father said he’d lost his ‘fire’ which wasn’t true, exactly. He’d never had any desires to be the best at everything. That was his father’s goals for him. He just wanted to be good at something on his own and not because he was a Pendragon, son of one of the wealthiest men in England.

It wasn’t the first time the questions lurked at the back of his mind though: _What do you really want? Who are you? What are you looking for?_

He didn’t really know the answer.

Arthur rubbed his face, “Food sounds good.” He nodded to Morgause.

***

The day passed quickly after that. Food always seemed to make Arthur feel better which is why he liked hiking. If it wasn’t for that he’d have a hard time keeping weight off. He intended to take a long walk before joining Morgause later for dinner. They had a few things to work out. Gwen was unhappy that he was going to miss tea but he didn’t like to eat sweats too much during the day. As a child he’d been rather pudgy and he didn’t want to deal with that ever again.

Besides, Arthur was a loner. He liked his own company and one of his favorite things to do was walk a trail in the afternoon. He chose one just behind the Rose&Stars which was only hour walk. He didn’t do jogging since he had trouble with his knees. An old footie injury in high school. It was part of the reason his goals in life changed. At any rate, Wales was a lovely country if you ignored the fact that it was a hotbed of supernatural energy. As usual, he wasn’t alone on his walk.

He didn’t stroll, he walked quickly to burn calories. About twenty minutes into the walk and away from the dense collection of cottages his calm evening began to change. He didn’t fail to see the man reach down to draw a flower from the side of the road and sniff it elegantly. He saw him as plain as day. He just didn’t acknowledge him. He’d learned that as long as he didn’t acknowledge them, eventually they left him alone. Echoes of the past. The man had probably been waiting for someone when he met his end. He always walked as quickly as possible because he didn’t want them to latch on to him. A teacher of his in college had kindly told him that he could not open himself up to spirits. That was an invitation for them to take him over. He wouldn’t ever allow that.

He saw the flower fall from the man’s hand and his face pale. An ugly visage of a highway man had crept up behind him and slit his throat. He collapsed to the pavement in a moan and his purse was lifted. Arthur did not stop to see where the body was dragged. He knew better. He kept going.

The events of the night before troubled him. Spirits usually didn’t talk to him. His mind kept drifting back to the boy. The Missing Heir. He was certain there was more to it. Something in the boy’s eyes made him shiver again. When he was younger, he’d had a difficult time ignoring the ghosts. Eventually he learned the hard way that saying anything would just make people think he was insane. If he tried to help them, it drew attention to him and he hated that.

In high school he had everyone’s attention and his father never let him forget it. He was going to be a star. He was going to be amazing, Uther had all these wonderful plans. Arthur sighed and glanced back over his shoulder. The man by the flower patch was gone but someone else was there. He was watching Arthur curiously and it was really disconcerting. Arthur wasn’t sure if he was real or not.

He was an old man with long snow-white hair and a grizzled appearance but his eyes were sharp as tacks. He wore a shabby tweed suit and walked with a gnarled cane. “You there.” The old man shouted and brandished his cane at Arthur. “Are you deaf?”

“Sorry?” Arthur took out the earphones. He had been listening to music to ensure that any voices were drowned out.

“I was speaking to you but you rudely passed by.” He huffed and approached Arthur. “Youngsters these days. Always in a rush. Hmph. I was wondering if you could help me.”

“That depends,” Arthur tried hard not to grimace when the man held out his hand. This was usually the point where he’d discover they weren’t real when he was out on a walking path on his own. The man’s hand was solid at least and Arthur couldn’t hold back a relieved sigh. “What do you need help with and who are you?”

“My name is Giaus Fisher, I believe you’ve heard of me, young man.” Gaius said with a snort.

“I’m not that young,” Arthur smirked. “I’m Arthur Pendragon. Yes, Morgause spoke of you. You’re the doll maker.”

“I’m aware of who you are. I may be old, but I do watch the news.” Gaius gave him that kind of look old people do when they are subjected to the misery of idiocy. “Indeed, I make things.” His eyes flicked up and down Arthur as he gaged him. “You’re sturdy. Perhaps you might help out an old man with a delivery. It came to my house while I was away and I am not strong enough to lift it inside.”

“Doesn’t someone live with you?” Arthur was skeptical.

“It’s just me and my cat Alice.” Gaius looked innocent enough but there was just something off. He couldn’t put his finger on it.

Arthur wasn’t dumb, though. He also wasn’t the kind of guy who would everything for a random stranger. If he was, he would have been helping out more spirits and probably ended up in an Asylum by now. “I’m afraid, I’m pressed for time,” he lied. “I’m meeting someone and I don’t want to be late.”

“Oh dear, I understand how that can be.” Giaus nodded, “I do understand young man, carry on.” He waved his hand dismissively. “I shall find someone else. There’s always someone else.”

Arthur couldn’t help but notice that the hairs on the back of his hands tingled again. “Um,” he cleared his throat. “Pleased to meet you, but I’ll be on my way now.”

“Don’t wander off the path, you might get lost.” Gaius had apparently lost interest in him and was staring at god knows what. It wasn’t particularly densely forested so Arthur had no idea what would be so interesting.

He decided to get the hell out of there because that was always the best option. Don’t get involved when something supernatural is afoot. Arthur kept walking.

***

In the forest, he watched as Giaus stopped the man. He was gorgeous, Arthur Pendragon. Gaius had told him the man’s name long before he had arrived in Ealdor. He had also told him that if anyone could break the spell it was Arthur. He had done a great deal of research on Pendragon and found the information they needed.

Merlin swallowed, acutely aware of how hungry and thirsty he was and yet how he would never get to eat. Not until Gaius could figure out a way to help lift the spell and get him back to his body.

Arthur Pendragon was certainly not bad to look at. He could easily get used to watching that man and he already was. He’d watched him sleep the night before. He’d watched him eat and he’d followed him to the store. He’d seen Arthur’s reaction, he knew the man could see what others could not. He hadn’t revealed himself again, not yet.

He had to be sure that Arthur could set him free from the Kara’s mercy before drawing him into this mess. He didn’t want anyone else hurt. He felt the draw back to the store, the pull to his prison and he growled in frustration. He could only be free of it for so long.

“Not long now, Merlin.” Gaius assured him softly.

“Why are you so sure he can find my body?” Even Merlin didn’t know where it was. He didn’t remember anything of that night except waking up in the Mannequin. It had taken months to even communicate with Gaius. The bitch who did this to him was walking around town smugly as if she owned the place. She had the Emrys family in the palm of her hands and if it was the last thing he did he would save his mother and father. He knew she was staying there with them, that she was spending his money and that she was acting like the Emrys heiress now. She was ‘consoling’ his parents, that’s what she told people.

Arthur Pendragon.

Merlin sighed, Arthur was someone he would have dated if his father would have allowed it. He’d always desired men but Balinor had set up the arranged marriage with Kara and doomed them all. He hoped Gaius was right but as far as he could tell the man was kind of a selfish bastard. A typical ass with an angelic face. Not that it mattered, for all he knew Kara actually had killed him.

“I have to go,” he told Gaius.

Gaius watched him leave and silently cursed. They didn’t have time to convince Arthur Pendragon to help. He’d have to be made to if he wouldn’t. There were things he could do but he didn’t want to do it just yet. It would be best if Arthur helped Merlin out of his own volition.

**TBC**


End file.
